Rear end construction for vehicle bodies



April 18, 1933.

F. E. WATTS REAR END CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLE BODIES Filed Dec. 22, 1950 lNV-ENTOR 42 /477 4157 27 4 654s ATTORNEYS 1 the body. "1:

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 film: were melan mas seem m Items. .-1' 1-r r eeeBQIeM QH e AGQBBQBATIQNQE VIRGINIA i {applicationnidmecemiier 22,1950; Serial no. 504,141.

This invention relates generally tojvvehicle bodies and more particularly toithe rear end construction of vehicle bodies. QR

6 commerciallyvprodiIced; to'cntaWayLa'pOrtion of the flooring above .thel rear axle dif ferential housing to permit unrestricted vertical travel of the latter. "lngorder to. pro- 1 vide an eflicient construction the opening :10 aforesaid is usually closedby a suitable metallic pan extending upwardly'intoi th'e body asufiici'ent distance to'provide the necessary clearance-for upward travel of the diflerential upon movement of the. iatterjrelative to:

While the foregoing cdnstrnctionfissatis-- factory ;in the single-seated type "of body nevertheless, it' is objectionable in the twoseated design, since the pan aforesaid usually? assumes ai position directly beneath the rear seat cushion, necessitating either elevating the latter to clear the pan or shortening the central coils of the same topermit the pan to project into the cushion proper.- Elevating the rear cushion to'clearitheto ot the pan'l would necessitatezincreasing the eight eithebody to provide sufficienthead clearan'ce and since the industry is constantly striving to reduce the overall height 40f "vehicle bodies to the minimum, such an arrangement would obviously be objectionable Qn the other;

handyred-ucing the length of the centralcoi ls of the cushion to providefa recessof sum cient size to'receive the panis also oh'jection f able, since it materially interferes with i the v flexibilityfiof the cu hion. istherefore onejof the principal objeetsof" this invention to eliminate the; objections, specified m fibe s i appr abl efi ili efe t of manufacture and atthesame' time perr'nit-j the height .of the body ,to ber re dueed Wi ho afl'ect'ing ,headicl lf i ce. i 1

The foregoing. as well as other oh a he, made more apparent]; this description pr0ceeds,- especially yvhenconsidered in con} e ithw e mpa y e definin wherein: f

. 4 I re 1isEa'diagraminatic sectional view tak e fl elie h eel rontimp a vehicle,

" flexible support for the relatively--shorts-coil? springs of the cushion with the result that over, with the a present construction; as flout"- body constrncted accordance thiss invention; and

.FigureQ is a I housing for the opening in the rear floor'i'por tion of the bodyiu a. l

, While the? present invention' contemp ates. a construction wherein; the rear icushionj is provided with-a recessin" the bottonlwfaee thereoftof sulficient lsizeuto receiveifthepan for the rear axle difl'erentialrholising, never l theless, the objection to this construction; as previously pointed iont, is: eliminated loy fashioning the pan of flexible materiali'gf The arrangement is suchgthat thexpan jfor ms; a

thecentral portions of the latter will have.

practically the samel'flexibility as thevr'einain ing Y portions of. the sanie equipped =with the comparatively: longer Icoil springsuj More-F lined above, shorter coilsprings beein p loyed within the cushion above the pamper initting a reduction inthe height'ldf .tlie cnshi ionjand as-a consequence, rendering fit pos-P sible to correspondingly reduce @-the-"height of the body Without sacrificingheadro'omi an:

:Infdetail, there is illustratedin Figur '1. the rear portion of 2a vehicler-body sm haying flooring ll provided with anhiopeni-ng 121 therein through which the rear aa'cl'ezdifiei'en tial rhousin g'l3 is: adapted:to project relative vertical movements ofthe latteriand' body; Secured zto the portions "(at thez floore' ing bordening the openin 12 and ezdien li1ig into a recess: formed t e rearficlishion "14 is a pan :15 serving to supportithetcentral coils 1:6 301 thei'cushion aesiifiicientldistanceiabovf Y central group ofcoil springs 16"shoi'te1'1than the: outer coils 17 and em ee is :the" practice to pardvideayseat of minimum height; it is often the-case thatathe'central' coili spriligs r areftoo short to provideflslifficientflexibility 7 With the result thatany appreciable weight on the centlzarllportionsof the :Sfilt dompreses the coils against "thes topjlzofwthe pan '15 materially afl ecting the riding qualities of the vehicle. The foregoing is eliminated in the present instance by fashioning the pan flexible qualities of the members 18, the free 7 ends thereof are substantially S-shaped or in other :words are reversely curved as at 19 terminating in outwardly extending flanges QO-enga'gingthe flooring 11 and suitably securedthereto; If desired,.the central overlapping portions of the springmembers 18 may be secured together by a suitable fastening element 21 and a flexible weatherproof covering 22 may be fastened to the under sides of the members 18 to prevent water and foreign matter from finding its way into the bod v Q i Tl ius, from the foregoing it will be apparent-I that I have provided an improved pan construction for the rear ends of vehicle bodies arranged to support the rear seat cushion and formed of a flexible material so as to yield to shock and thereby permit utilizing'a. lower pan than has heretofore been considered possible. Moreover, by virs tue of my improved arrangement as previously described,-the required length ofthe coil springs in the seat cushion supported by theflexible pan is less than would ordinarily be required if a rigid'housing were used since thepan in the present instance forms a. flexible support for the coil springs with the result' that. when the portions. of the cushion above the pan is occupied, the pan will flex and the'weight of the passenger will be partially-supported by the remaining coil springs in the cushion. r

' While in describing the present invention particular stress has been placed upon the provision of a flexible rear body panformed of a plurality of radially extending-spring bars terminating in S-shaped end portions to increase, the flexibility thereof, nevertheless, it isto be noted that the above specific numerous other ways.

construction is for the purpose of illustration only and that the pan may be fashioned in For example, the flexible pan may be formed of spring bars arranged in several difl'erentways or may be formed from moulded rubber or rubber compositions, and accordingly reservation is made :to make such changes as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims. 1 What I claim as myinvention is:

-l. A. rear 'end construction for vehicle opening therethrough for axle housing-clear ance, and a closure for the opening havinga plurality of spring metal strips extending across the opening above the same.

3. A rear end construction for vehicle bodies comprising a floor section having an opening therethrough-foraxle housing clearance, and a circular pan having aplurality of radially extending spring metal members;

positioned above said opening terminating in downwardly 'curvedend portions secured to the floor section. 1

4;. A body pan for rear spring, metal members secured together intermediate the ends and provided with down? wardly 'curved end portions for engaging a:

support.

5. Arear end-1 construction for bodies comprising a floor sectionhavin an opening therethrough for axle housing 0 ear-V ance, a member positioned above said opening formed of a plurality-of-spring metal strips, and a sheet of flexible material secured to said strips for closing the'opening.

6. A rear end construction 7 for vehicle bodies comprising a floor section having an opening therethrough for; axle housing clearance, a closure for the opening spaced'above the latter and comprising a plurality 10f spring metal strips extending across the opening and provided: with downwardly curved end portions secured to the portions of the floor section surrounding the opening,

and a sheet of flexible material secured to said stripsfor closing the opening. t

7. A rear end construction for vehicle bodies comprising a floor section having an opening therethrough for axle housing clearance, a flexible seat arranged above the. open-. ing andformed of a plurality of coil springs with the coils above the opening substantially shorter than the remaining coils forming a axle housing cleare ance having a plurality of radially extendingv its plurality of flexible strips forming a support for the relatively short coils of the seat and provided with downwardly extending curved portions engaging the portions of the floor section surrounding theoopening.

9. A rear end construction for vehicle bodies comprising a floor section formed with an opening therethrough for axle housing clearance and adapted to support a seat cushion having a depressed portion located above the opening, and a flexible closure for the opening fashioned to fit within the depressed portion of the cushion.

10. A rear end construction for vehicle bodies comprising a floor section formed with an opening therethrough for axle housing clearance andadapted to support a seat cushion having coil springs above the opening substantially shorter than the remaining springs forming-a recess in the cushion, and a fiexibleoclosure for the'opening extending into the depressed portion of "the cushion and engageable with the relatively shorter coil springs for increasing the flexibility of the depressed portion of the cushion.

11. A rear end construction for ,vehicle bodies comprising a floor sectionformed with an opening therethrough for axlehousing clearance and adapted to support a seatcushion having a depressed portion located above the opening, and a closure for the opening having flexible portions located withinthe body above the opening and fashioned to fit within the depressed portion of the cushion to increase the flexibility of the portions of the cushion above the same. t

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' FRANK WATTS. 

